The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Washington Commanders on Wild Card Weekend. Having advanced to the postseason, will the Bucs be able to get star wide receiver Chris Godwin back at some point during their playoff run?

What is Chris Godwin’s injury?

The Buccaneers were 4-2 and appeared to be the top team in the NFC South when Tampa Bay faced the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7, and Godwin’s play was a big reason for the team’s success.

Unfortunately, Godwin suffered a devastating ankle injury late in the fourth quarter against Baltimore.

Shortly thereafter, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles confirmed that Godwin had suffered a dislocation in his left ankle, which caused him to miss the remainder of the regular season.

Recently, head coach Bowles provided an update on Godwin’s chances of returning.

“You asked a lot, but Todd Bowles said neither Chris Godwin nor SirVocea Dennis are capable of returning from long-term injuries, even in a deep playoff,” Fox Sports writer Greg Auman posted.

You asked a lot, but Todd Bowles said that neither Chris Godwin nor SirVocea Dennis are capable of returning from long-term injuries, even after a long playoff run.

– Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 6, 2025

Godwin had previously said he was aiming for a postseason return, but that goal apparently wasn’t realistic.

Godwin is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

MORE: NFL analyst reveals dark horse team that could pursue Chris Godwin

Before suffering the injury, Godwin was on pace to have the best season of his NFL career, catching 50 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns in seven games.

Todd Bowles is criticized for playing Godwin in Garbage Time

After leaving Godwin in the game against the Ravens, Bowles got into a lot of trouble as the Bucs were virtually out of the game and ultimately lost 41-31.

Bowles defended his decision at the time and said the Bucs still had a slim chance of winning.

“He is a player. We’re trying to win the ballgame,” Bowles said of the decision to keep Godwin in the game. “We were still down 10 points. We try to get extra points and get another onside kick. (The injury) just happened.”

Bowles didn’t like the media questioning his decision to keep Godwin in the game because he believed his team still had a chance to win.

“You can say that because he got hurt. We have no doubts,” Bowles said in October. “We have our boys. We play against everyone we have. It’s unfortunate that he got hurt, but he’s a football player and he wants to be in the game, just like Baker (Mayfield) and everyone else wanted to be in the game.”

Godwin’s injury hasn’t affected the Bucs too much as rookie Jalen McMillan has stepped up and Mike Evans continues to play at a high level. Since Week 12, Evans leads the NFL in receiving yards (669), while McMillan is tied for the lead in receiving touchdowns (seven).

Still, Bucs fans held out hope that Godwin would return and gave the Bucs all their weapons.

Dennis’ absence due to a shoulder injury arguably hit the Bucs even harder than Godwin’s injury, as he was their best cover linebacker and Tampa Bay isn’t nearly as deep at the linebacker position as they are at the wide receiver position .

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Washington Commanders game preview

• Location: Tampa, Raymond James Stadium
• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Channel: NBC/Peacock

The Commanders finished the season with the sixth-lowest turnover rate in the league, putting the offense in position to succeed as often as any. This fuels their fourth-place ranking in points per drive.

Jayden Daniels is already one of the elite dual-threat quarterbacks after just one season. His scramble has resulted in a ridiculous 56.0 EPA, while no other QB has better than 35.7 EPA on scrambles this year.

The Buccaneers had to work hard, but they got everything they hoped for in Week 18. The Bucs clinched the NFC South and gave Mike Evans his record-setting 11th consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season.

The offense has certainly earned him the right to play postseason football. Baker Mayfield had a career year, joining Tom Brady as the only players in franchise history with 40 passing touchdowns in a season. This allowed Tampa to finish in the top five in both EPA per rush and pass success rate.

Overall, the Commanders’ offensive line has done a good job of pass protection all season, considering how long Daniels holds the ball (3.01 seconds; seventh). Whether facing the blitz or not, Daniels is in the top 10 in terms of time to throw (or sack) in both cases.

The Buccaneers offensive line has undeniably been one of the most improved units in the NFL this season. They have been the NFL’s second-best unit over the last four weeks, including three games graded B- or better.

Tampa Bay’s pressure rate (24.4%) is the lowest in the league, and they have impressive numbers whether they face the blitz or not.

The Commanders had a below-average defense for most of the season, which is reflected in their final Defense+ ranking (17th overall, Grade: C). Ultimately, Washington’s performance was largely fairly consistent given the strength of the competition.

This season, the Commanders ranked 24th in defensive EPA per dropback, third-worst among the 14 playoff teams.

Quietly, the Buccaneers’ defense has improved since returning from their Week 12 bye. A soft schedule helped, but the Bucs ranked third in EPA per game, first in third-down defense and fourth in red zone defense during that span.

A wild card matchup against the likely offensive rookie of the year will be a bigger test. However, the Bucs handed Daniels and Co. a convincing loss in Week 1.